How I made peace with missing Adley Rutschman's Orioles debut, but shared the joy in other ways
If not for COVID, Adley Rutschman would have been a big leaguer a long time ago. And if not for COVID, I would have been there to see it.
One of the many things I learned in what is extending into a third week of COVID’s stay in my household is that my daughter Zoe loves watching horse racing.
Another, and perhaps the biggest one, is you just have to roll with the punches.
That’s why, as Adley Rutschman was doing his soak-it-in turn behind home plate Saturday at Camden Yards, we were home neighing at our television and shouting at the sight of the horses at Pimlico.
It was terribly disappointing to miss such a meaningful day in an Orioles project that I’ve spent far too much time considering for a neutral, but there wasn’t really any choice. Had I been able to go, it would have just allowed me to feel the joy in-person that Rutschman’s debut brought those in attendance.
Saturday was a day that meant a lot to those who stuck this out, those who work for the Orioles, and those who want to see them good again – which happens to be the constituency of this newsletter.
Reading what I did, it seemed like that joy carried the day, and really the weekend. I couldn’t share in that, but allow me to at least share some of my own recent joys. Maybe I have an idea of what it was like.
First, the logistics. My daughter and I weren’t feeling well the Thursday and Friday before Mother’s Day, but were negative for COVID. My wife tested positive on Mother’s Day, and while the rest of us stayed negative, we were advised by our doctor to act as if we all had COVID from then on and acted appropriately.
Zoe and I remained negative throughout the week, past the point of needing to isolate (five days) and mask in public (10 days), hence my getting back in the mix and going to Bowie Tuesday. Upon testing her to bring her back to daycare on Thursday, she was positive and turns out so was I.
It’s highly unlikely this was a new positive, and if I’d tested positive when my symptoms first started, I’d be back to living a normal life. I’m already negative multiple times since. But in the spirit of doing the right thing, I reported it to the Orioles to ensure everyone in Bowie was aware and safe, and that meant no covering baseball for 10 days going forward.
We are incredibly fortunate that the pandemic didn’t impact our immediate families as it did so many others. We’d avoided it for over two years, and I felt guilty that as so many people suffered we bought a house, had a baby, and enjoyed countless life milestones.
Our turn in the box has been, thankfully, tame. We all felt pretty crummy for a few days, and my wife longer, but everyone is well now. The late positive for Zoe and I mean restarting her clock out of daycare, and subjects her to more one-on-one parenting from me.
Can’t lie, it’s been pretty fun. I’m getting a full glimpse of how, at almost 19 months, she is far smarter than I could have ever imagined. She’s putting together words and phrases I didn’t know she knew. She looks me dead in the eyes when she throws her food on the floor or climbs on the coffee table, knowing full I do not approve.
She’s deciding what she wants to eat, which books she wants to read, and where we go on walks. And, I’m embarrassed to admit, I’m learning to listen to her in a way I probably didn’t do a good job of before. (For someone who prides himself on listening professionally, it’s not a strong suit at home.)
Mostly, though, it’s just a good time. During the portion of our illness when we were no longer homebound, we had outdoor outings at the zoo and the Patterson Park duck pond. We’ve gone on bike rides and many long strolls to look for dogs and busses. She enjoys the accompanying treats when we walk to Dunkin’ every morning, and I enjoy when she tells me she’s ready for a nap.
Many of the Orioles fans at Camden Yards this weekend have basically only had the chance to enjoy a sporadic good moment with the major league club and the hope for Saturday eventually arriving and being a turning point to buoy the soul lately.
The Orioles lost Saturday, but those people won, and I spent a little time experiencing winning without actually winning anything this weekend as well. A decade covering sports has made it hard to maintain rooting interests, but there’s no conflicts of interest when it comes to Tottenham Hotspur, who I obsess over in a way everyone here can probably relate to with one team or another.
Times haven’t been as tough for Spurs as they were Orioles fans these last few years – Tottenham is more 2016 Orioles for their fantastic long-term core that has nothing to show for being good than it is rebuild-era Orioles.
Sunday afternoon, Zoe got to experience as much of Spurs in full glory as a toddler can. It was a goal-fest that we won to secure a return to the Champions League, and where one of our stars, the beloved Son Heung-min, scored twice to win a share of the Golden Boot Award for most goals in a season. His teammates held him up in celebration as I did the same to Zoe.
She clapped as I sang along with the television, cheered when we scored, and took some breaks to jump on the bed in between.
It was just really cool, and though leaving full-time sportswriting and thus having weekends has been worth it alone, this continuous time at home has been another level.
There was a time in my life, not too long ago, when I would have been beside myself to have to miss an Orioles game as important as this weekend. For the paid subscribers to this newsletter, I admit I can’t imagine what I would have written that could have been value-additive on a day like that, but not even getting the chance to try is letting that group down. I’m sorry for that.
Anyone reading this, though, probably has a strong affinity for the Orioles. Saturday finally arriving was a day for anyone who falls in that category, and as Mike Elias said a day later, brighter days are ahead.
I know the feeling, and promise, regular coverage will resume with the next missive in your inbox. Phase one of my COVID isolation meant tapping into most of my back-pocket stories. Being housebound this weekend didn’t help replenish it, but this is an organization full of stories to tell, and we’re just getting started.
John,
Glad you had an opportunity to enjoy the family time. As someone who has been a vendor many years at both Orioles and Ravens games; I cherish the chances to experience events at home with my family.
Keep it going!
Todd